Circuit-control apparatus.



`11p. 863,165.v Y PAT-BNTBD AUG. 13, 1907. R. 'PLBMING- I CIRCUITCONTROL APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION HLlnn 1120.5. 1905.

2 SHEETS-s112311.

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nicnas-n rifornire, or LYNN, MASSAonUSnrrS, ASSrGNor. To GENERAL.stitcfrnic-l oorvzrinr, A consonantes or New YORK. As 1 f no. seance.

' tov control an electric circuit or circuits.

My inventionjs peculiarly adapted for embodiment in an electromagneticrelay device. One embodiment of my inventionin such a device l havehereinafter illustrated and described in details; It will beobviousuhlowever, that my invention is not limited for its utility toemployment with the apparatus of which l have shown it as forming apart. The various features of novelty which characterize my inventionare pointed out with particulaijty in '20 the claims annexed to andforming a part ofthis specij i'ication.

A For a better understanding of the nature of my inn vent/ion and theadvantages possessed by it, ret`erence maybehad tothe accompanyingdrawings and descriptive matter-,in which I have illustrated somewhat indetail one of the forms in which my invention may be embodied.'

0f the drawings, lFigure 1 is anfeievation with parts I broken away andin section of al1-automatic relay de- `llljfvce; Fig.` 2 is fmelevationat right ang-les.' to Fig. l and partly in'section on the line 2 2thereof; and ligi:7

.Sisfildiagram illustrating Vau arrangement in .which inyf'inventionmaybe employed in regulating the voltage-oi an alternatingcurrent-distribution system.

vv ln thedrawngs, l lrepresents a base or support upon whichismounted acasing 2 in which my relay device isl mounted. The relaydevcerpropercomprises two' pairs of stationarycoils 3 and 4 land a pairoi 4movable coils 5 and 6. As shown,v the coil 5 is between and in toeinmischen with the coil a; similarly the con e is ybetween and in axialalinement with the coil 4. Tlrecoils 5 and 6 are supported by a frame ormember 7 pivotally mounted on bearing pins 8. 'Anadjustable Acounterweightll mounted on a horizontal arm 4 5 10 secured to' thefmember 7normally tends to turn the frame 7 in the direction indicated by thearrow in Figcl. I-

A threaded rod 115 projecting.- vertically upward from the center ofthemem'ber? carries at its upper end a clamp l2 in whichis secured acontact member" 13 intheform of a transversely .extending conducting rodwhich may he carbon or graphite. Con

1 5- whichmay also be in the :to:

` Specification of Letters lPatent.

Application filed December 5, 19%.. Serial llo. 290,410.

"1G11 APARATUS.

rods or pencils o/conducting material enclins afloop or graphite aresupported in alinement withv tl-lf ber 13 .l t at opposite ends theref,meansiff devices 16 and 17, respctively. Y

ng supporting device 1d is in the form of l. strip of resilientconducting metal, the i' which are oi unequal length. Near thefend ofthe longer leg is secured a clamp'll" in which is se cured the contactmember 14. '12o the end of the v other leg secured a slotted plate 16/'which is adjustably secured to the terminal member 1S. To theextremeupper end lof the long leg of the member 16A is secured an armature 19of -magnetic'materiah Insulation 20 covers the'ia'ce of the armature 19.The member 1.7 which is similar. to the memberl, is pro# vided withaclamp 15' slotted plate 17 adjustably lsecured to the terminal 21,armature- '22, and insulating material 23. These'part's correspond tothe parts 14, 16C `19 and 20 respectively. The armatures 19 and 22 faceopposite ends of the core 24 of an electromagnet 25. f v

ln Fig. 3 l have illustrated the use of my present Patented Aug. f I'invention in connection with arrange ents for reg'ulating currentcircuits 4such as aire described and claimed in my Patents 783,513@ind-LNG. 783,514 of and 32 representKconductors conveying current` froma source of alternating current 33 to lthe translating devices 34. Theconductor 32 has connected in series with it amovable coil 35, whichcoperateswith a February 28, 1905. In this use of my inventiolnl .80.

pair of stationary coils 36 and 37. ,The coils 36 and 37 i' lare'i'nalinement with each other and are connected between the conductors 31and32 so that theirmagnetizing-eifectsare in opposite directions. Whenthe connected, have the effect of increasingthewoltage supplied to thetranslating device. In this position then to decrease the voltage. At anintermediate position the effect of the coils may .be ml. The coil `38forms a closed circuit tending to reduce the inductance of the coil 35when it surrounds the coil 38.

The coils S, 4, and 6 are inseries with each other and are conrected'ltothe terminals ofa winding 39 in inductive `relation With the windingtheterminals4` p 'of which are connected to conductors 31 and'32 at "u'lcoil 35fis in position relative to the coils 36 and37, shown in Fig. 3,the coils'35 and 37 will, 4if properly 9o L.

points which may be more or less closely adjacentthe ff of the winding39 corresponding to' that the lines 31 and 32 is below a predeterminedtranslati ng devices 34. When the voltage between.-

ros

amount, the rod 11 is moved in thedirection indicated by the arrowthrough the action of the counter- Weight 9 (not shown inlFig. 3). Whenthe voltage increases beyond a predetermined amount, however, the actionof the coils 3 and 4 on the coils 5 and 6 causes the rod l1 to be swungin the opposite direction.

4l represents a valve controlling the flow of suitable working fluidsuch as compressed air from the reservoir 42 `to apparatus for producingrelative movement between coil 35 and coils 36 and 37. The valve 41 isprovided with an armature 42 located between the ends of the core ofelectromagnets 43 and 44. The electromagnets 43 and 44 are normallenergized alike from a suitable source of current 45 through a circuitcomprising conductors 46, 47 and 48 which connect the windings of theelectromagnets inlseries with each other and a. source oi current 45.Asshown the member 16 is electrically connected to the conductor 46 andthe member 17 is electrically connected to the conductor 48. yAconductor 49ileads from th'e conductor' 47 to one terminal of theelectromagnet 25.

The other terminal of the electromagnet 25 is connectedI by a 'flexibleconductor 50 tothe member 11 and thereby with the contact member 13.

Anappairatus for raising and lowering the movable coil 35 is showndiagrammatically 'in 3. lt comprises a cylinder 51 fitted' with amovable plunger or piston 52-carrying at its top a cross bar 53 fromwhich the movable coil 35 is suspended by cords 54. The spaces below andabove the piston are connected respectively with the compressed airvalve 41 by pipes 55 and 56. The' valve 41 is illustrateddiagrammatically, but is lof a common type. When the movable amature 42is in` themid position as shown, air is cut off from' pipes 55 and 56,"but when the armature moves toward coil 44 air is admitted to. pipe 55and is released from pipe 56 from whence it discharges through anexitpipe 57 Air admitted through pipe 55 raises piston 52 and consequentlythe coil 35.

When thevoltage between the lines 31 and 32 is below a predeterminedamount, the arm 11 moves in the direction of the arrow to bring about anengagement between thecontacts 13 and 14. This short circuits thewinding of the electromagnet 43 whereupon the armature 42 will beattracted by the core of the electromagnet 44.I This will, through thevalve 41, allow the operating fluid from the reservoir 42 to cause anoperation of the coil moving mechanism which will change the relativeposition between the coil 35 and the-coils 36 and37 in such a manner asto raise the voltage between the lines 31 and 32. Similarly when thepotential between the lines 31 and 32 rises above a predeterminedamount, the contact members 13 and 15 will engage and by shortcircuiting the Winding of the electromagnet 44 will cause the armature42 to be attracted by the electromagnet 43, thus -causingyan oppositemovement between' the coil 35 and the coils 36 and 37.

Whenever the contact member 13 engages. either contact 14 ortho contact15, the coil 25 will become openativelyenergized, vthus attracting thearmatures '20 and 22. As these armatures move toward the core,

the member 11 will thereby be moved-back toward its vertical position.yThis tends to prolong somewhat said electromngnet the period ofengagement between the contact member 13 and the particular contactdevice 13 or i4 with which it is in engagement while at the same timeproducing a slight relative transverse movement between the surfaces oithe contact member in engagement, which tends to prevent any arcingaction which may, occur between them from causing them to stick or weldtogether.

While the form of my invention hereinbefore described and illustrated indetail has given excellent results in practice it will be obvious thatchanges may be made in the form of the invention disclosedl withoutdeparting from its spirit, and I do not wish the claims hereinafter madeto be limited to the particular embodiment of my invention disclosed,more than is made necessary by the state of the art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent'of the UnitedStates, is,- l

1. In combination, a pair of normally stationary contact members, afloating contact between said normally stationary members engaging oneor the other of said sts.- tionary members on reaching the limit of itsmovement in the one direction or the other, and electromagnetic meansfor causing said normally stationary membersvto be moved toward cachother upon such engagement.

2. In combination, n pair of liexiblyv supported normally stationarycontact members, a floating contact between said normally stationarycontacts, and electromagnetic means for moving said normally stationarymembers toward eachother whenever the floating contact engages either ofthem.

3. In combination, a pair ot resilient members, each supporting anarmature of magnetic material and a contact member, and electromagneticdevices between the armatures andarranged to attract both of them whenenergized, a floating contact between the contacts supported on theresilient members and arranged toengage one or the other of saidcontacts when it approaches one or the other limits of its movements,and means for energizing when such contact takes pince.

4. In combination, a pair of contact members, a floating contact movablefrom a position in which it engages one of said members to a positionvinwhich it'engages the other of said members, and electromagnetic meansenergized by the engagement of the contact with either member forlproducing a relative movement between the Contact and member duringsuch engagement.v l

5. In combination, a pair of flexibly supported normally stationarycontact members, an armature connected to each of said members, anelectromagnetic device arranged to attract both of said 'armatures whenenergized, a Heating Contact, means for moving it from n position inwhich it engages one of the resiliently supported contacts to a poAsition in which it engages the other-ot' the resiliently supportedcontacts, and means for energizing said electromagnet when eitherengagement takes place.

(i. ln combination, a pair of normally stationary Contact members, afloating contact movable from a position in which it engages vone ofsaid members to aposition in which it engages the other of said members,and means automatically actuated by either of such engagements forprolonging the period of engagement.

7. In combination, a pair of normally stationary contact members, afloating contact between said normally stationary contacts engaging oneor the other o1 them on reaching the limit of its movement in onedirection or the other, and electromagnetic means energized by suchengagement for-causing said normally stationary contacts to be movedtoward each other upon such engagement.

S. In a circuit regulating device, a pair of normally stationary contactmembers, a movable contact member movable from a position in which itengages one of said srationnry members to a position in which it engagesthe other of said sta'tionarv members in response to variations in thecondition of the lircuit regulated, means for varying che conditionsy01E thefcircit tebe regulated or controlled said normally stationaryeonaet members* 9. In combination, a p'air'of contact members, a Heatingcontact movable from a position inwhichit engages oue'of sadmembers toa, postonin which it engages the other 'of said members, and`electromagnetic means energized by the engagement of thecontact witheither member for pro- 10 longing the period of such engagement.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto setmy hand this second Rev ofDecember,-190 5.

RICHARD FLEMING.

Witnesses z JOHN A. MCMANUS, Jr., Hmm! 0. WESTENDABP.

